Gamma Intel - Summit of Nota Vino / Cloud Nine

8 Oct

Gamma Intel brings two unlikely ambient works to the Lazy Reflex Complex imprint in Summit of Nota Vino / Cloud Nine (2023). Laurens van de Werken, or Gamma Intel, takes the spot as the second digital release on the Dutch label, adorned with the LRCINDEX Cat #. Both tracks are a far cry from what we have come to expect from van de Werken, with most of his releases leaning more towards industrial electro. Along with his compatriot, fellow DJ and producer Identified Patient, the duo has been exploring different facets of their sounds since the inception of the label Nerve Collect earlier this year. Gamma Intel’s E.M. EP incorporated flavours of dubstep and rave, whereas this takes a much more ambient and textured approach.

Gamma Intel sets the scene with the slow introduction of a coarse lead synthesiser that abstractly chimes on ‘Summit of Nota Vino’. Bass chords enter with gravitas, bringing tension and threat. Pressure builds with cranking resonances that unfurl to showcase wicked technicolour. Airy choirs rise from under the blooming melodies. This addition increases the cinematic quality of the cut while instilling an orchestral edge. Gamma Intel achieves this on ‘Summit of Nota Vino’ through notes that glide into one another. The track feels like a wave with an edge of unsettling dull sheen like scratched silver, rough and textured yet gleaming, whereas ‘Cloud Nine’ wears its heart on its sleeve, not so much unfurling but evolving. The same thick bass tones create a beautiful canvas for the brassy harmonics. It slowly climaxes into a cool electronica with fizzy drums and an overwhelming sense of bliss. Gamma Intel fills ‘Cloud Nine’ with a lackadaisical melancholy. The dark reverb and delay effects contrast beautifully with the bright synths, creating a surface-level joy while having glimpses of torment.

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